“But, tell me it’s true, my Queen,” she declares as her voice gets muddled by the march of our footsteps.
“Yes!” I confirm. “We leave at daybreak.”
The group comes to a halt, squeezing me in place between each male who surrounds me. Gertie’s back is now against my chest and another pressed firmly against my back that I would almost think it was King Caelum encroaching on my personal space—not that I have minded of late.
“Why have we stopped?” I ask.
“Where are you going, my Queen?” a male asks, someone from behind my right shoulder.
“I am not the queen, remember? I am a trainee as you are.”
“Wherever you go, Aurora, we go,” Lycus declares, who is at Gertie’s left shoulder.
“Bold to call her by her name,” a male snickers.
“The King could have your head for it,” another threatens.
“You must train,” I counter, needing to avoid a fight about what Caelum would or wouldn’t do.
“As you,” Silvius states, who is at Gertie’s other side.
“Honestly, males,” I say with a sigh, not daring to call them boys.
I had done it once and they were not fond of the term of endearment. I insisted it was meant from that of a friendly, sisterly place, but they would not have it.
“I will continue to train,” I say. “I will not shirk my duties as a trainee. King Caelum has confirmed that I will resume the forenoon after we arrive in Celio.”
“Celio?” many male voices repeat as the group spreads out to face me.
“None of the Enkeli compare to your beauty, my Queen,” Uraz declares, lowering to a knee.
“Stand up and stop wasting time,” I huff. “Kion had removed three buckets of sand from our time today. We barely made it yesterday.”
“Yet, we did make it,” Shiro reminds.
A smile splays across my lips at his enthusiasm. “Can we discuss this once we finish?” I request. “I’d prefer to not have Kion choose to penalize us for any reason…more so you while I am away.”
My feet barely touch the ground as the mass of us move forward again. The air is sweet, yet warm already. The full sun has barely hit the crest of the eastern mountain. It sparkles brightly off the waterfalls in the distance, indicating that it will be warm.
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